Jessica Pegula to face Aryna Sabalenka in the US Open women’s final Saturday
Pegula is the oldest U.S. woman in the Open era, which began in 1968, to reach her first major singles final.
NEW YORK — Back in January, when Aryna Sabalenka was winning a second consecutive Australian Open title, Jessica Pegula was bowing out in the second round with a straight-set loss against someone ranked 51st.
It wasn’t the first setback for Pegula, of course. There have been many of those through the years, from assorted injuries to difficult-to-digest defeats. Look at her now, though: On Saturday, the No. 6-seeded Pegula will face No. 2 Sabalenka for the championship at the U.S. Open.
“If you would have told me at the beginning of the year I’d be in the finals of the U.S. Open, I would have laughed so hard, because that just was where my head was — not thinking that I would be here,” Pegula, a 30-year-old American, said Thursday night after coming back to earn her first shot at a Grand Slam trophy with a 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Karolina Muchova in the semifinals at Flushing Meadows.
“So to be able to overcome all those challenges, and say that I get a chance at the title Saturday, is what we play for as players — let alone being able to do that in my home country here, in my home Slam,” Pegula said. “It’s perfect, really.”
It hasn’t exactly always been a smooth ride for Pegula, the oldest U.S. woman in the Open era, which began in 1968, to reach her first major singles final.
Rating: 5